Video Cables

The standard of cables and connectors must not be confused with a camera’s signal format. Standard cameras output a composite signal, made up of color and brightness information. Composite signals, namely NTSC or PAL (color) and EIA or CCIR (monochrome), transmit via a single channel requiring only one coaxial cable. In a coaxial cable, two separate connections are made between devices, one for the video signal and one for "ground." Single-channel cables have "BNC" bayonet type or "RCA" plug type connectors (see photo). Some color cameras output two channels simultaneously, one for color information and one for brightness. Two-channel, or Y-C, video devices (sometimes called S-Video or SVHS) use a 4-pin "Y-C" connector, where two pins carry each channel and two carry each "ground."